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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says about 80,000 residents have lost access to SNAP after federal changes to the program. His figure includes 24,655 children and 6,572 seniors; the state reports that the number of people receiving benefits has fallen from 627,164 in October 2025 to just under 547,000. The source report does not detail how many people lost benefits under each rule or whether all reported losses are final.
About 80,000 Kentuckians have lost access to food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Kentucky’s congressional delegation. The figure includes 24,655 children and 6,572 seniors, according to Beshear, who is urging federal officials to respond to benefit losses following changes to SNAP rules.
Beshear said the estimated losses followed federal changes made through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a broad budget law passed by Congress in 2025. The source report does not break down the 80,000 figure by rule, explain how the state calculated it, or specify when each person’s benefits ended.
State data cited in the report show that 286,921 Kentucky households currently receive SNAP. Just under 547,000 individuals were receiving assistance, Beshear said, down from 627,164 in October 2025. The report provides those two figures but does not establish how much of the decline is attributable to the federal changes rather than other factors.
Kentucky households receiving SNAP get an average of $346 per month, according to state data. That average indicates the scale of monthly assistance, but the report does not say how much recipients who lost access had received individually or whether they have other sources of food aid.
SNAP Losses Reach Children and Seniors
The reported loss affects people who may rely on food assistance to cover grocery costs, including children and older adults. Beshear said school meals and summer programs are important food sources for many children and warned that changes to SNAP could compound food access concerns. His letter asks federal officials to act, but the report does not quantify resulting food insecurity or document the effect on individual households.
The average monthly benefit of $346 per household offers a measure of the assistance at stake for recipients overall. It is not an estimate of the amount lost by each of the 80,000 people: benefits are issued to households, and the source does not provide individual award amounts or household sizes for those affected.
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Federal Work-Rule Changes
The changes described in the report stem from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Congress in 2025. It says that, beginning last November, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, recent foster care youth and adults ages 54 to 64 were no longer exempt from SNAP work requirements for themselves and their families.
The reported change concerns exemptions from work requirements; the source does not list every provision of the law or explain how the requirements are applied to specific cases in Kentucky. It also does not provide a federal response or information about appeals, exemptions that may still apply, or the process for people whose benefits were affected.
““We should be fighting hunger, not causing it; yet the President’s cruel and unnecessary changes to SNAP are causing more than 80,000 Kentuckians – and millions of Americans across our country – to face hunger,””
— Gov. Andy Beshear, in a statement quoted by the report
How the Reported Losses Were Counted
The report attributes the about 80,000 figure to Beshear but does not include the state’s underlying calculation, a detailed count by affected group, or the period over which the losses occurred. It is also unclear whether the estimate refers to individuals whose benefits ended, people who became ineligible under new rules, or another measure of lost access.
No response from the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the congressional delegation is included. The report also does not establish whether the decline from 627,164 recipients in October 2025 to just under 547,000 is entirely due to the law. The article may be updated as more information becomes available.
Federal Officials Asked to Respond
Beshear has asked Rollins and Kentucky’s congressional delegation to take action, but the source report does not describe a specific requested policy change or give a deadline for a response. It does not report that federal officials have announced a review, reversal, or other next step.
Further reporting may clarify how Kentucky arrived at the loss estimate, which rule changes account for the affected cases, and whether people who lost benefits can appeal or qualify under another exemption. Until those details are available, the reported count and its causes should be understood as Beshear’s account, alongside the state data cited in the report.
Key Questions
How many Kentuckians have reportedly lost access to SNAP?
About 80,000, according to Gov. Andy Beshear. The source report does not include the state’s detailed calculation behind that estimate.
How many children and seniors are included in the figure?
Beshear said the count includes 24,655 children and 6,572 seniors.
What federal changes are linked to the losses?
The report links them to changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It says that, beginning last November, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, recent foster care youth and adults ages 54 to 64 were no longer exempt from SNAP work requirements.
How much SNAP assistance do Kentucky households receive on average?
State data cited in the report put the average at $346 per month per household. That is an overall average, not the reported benefit amount for each person who lost access.
Has the federal government responded to Beshear’s letter?
The source report does not include a response from the U.S. Department of Agriculture or Kentucky’s congressional delegation, and it does not identify a confirmed next federal action.
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